For thousands of years, harp seals have migrated from Greenland down the coast of Canada, stopping each spring to give birth on the ice floes. Every year, a band of fishers descends on the ice to beat hundreds of thousands of seals to death and sell the animals' pelts on the international fur market. Sealers routinely hook baby seals in the eye, cheek, or mouth and drag them across the ice, often while the animals are still conscious. Many of the seals killed in the massacre are only a few weeks old.

Baby seals stand no chance against club-wielding seal hunters-pups must look on as fellow seals are bludgeoned to death only to then meet the same bloody fate. The commercial seal slaughter is an off-season profit venture for the fishing industry, and it accounts for less than 1 percent of Newfoundland's economy. The seal slaughter is not a subsistence activity for native peoples-Inuit sealing accounts for only about 3 percent of the annual slaughter.

The price of seal fur is plummeting as international outrage against the seal slaughter rises. The U.S. and the European Union have banned seal products, and world leaders such as President Barack Obama and His Holiness The Dalai Lama have denounced the massacre.
The annual seal slaughter will continue unless people like you speak out and take action to stop it, so please add your voice to the global outcry against Canada's shameful seal massacre. Please write to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and Canadian ambassadors around the world to demand that they bring the massacre to an immediate end. Please follow the link below to sign the petition.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

​John Boy Walton, a swan who lives in Prospect Park, was found injured Friday and an unnamed duck was found dead in the latest of a series of mysterious animal deaths over the last two weeks around the park's lake. According to a parkgoer who spoke to the Brooklyn Paper, "Two dead opossums, one blackbird, the duck, one turtle and seven or eight dead fish" have been found dead in the park, all in an area where someone has been dumping bits of the carcasses of slaughtered animals.Mounds of animal entrails, detached chicken heads, the stripped shells of tortoises, blood and feathers have been found in and around the lake. Initial reports linked the dead animals to Santeria rituals, but Assistant Commissioner of NYC Parks and Recreation Tupper Thomas told WPIX Friday that explanation was off the table: "We feel that somebody has probably been bringing in the chicken parts and the entrails, brought it in and dumped it there for God only knows what reason."
Locals already concerned about finding animal body parts in their park are now concerned that the remains are poisoning the water. The Parks Department has promised to test the water for contamination, but according to Prospect Park Spokesman Eugene Patron, "It is very unlikely that the 60-acre watercourse, which is constantly flowing, is contaminated."

Would love to know what you think about this story and who you think might be behind these poor animal deaths. Comment and let me know what you think.

Winston the dog has no problem with people. But he cannot stand police cars, specifically their bumpers.
On March 14, while lying in wait for speeding motorists, a Chattanooga, Tenn., police officer felt his vehicle bouncing around. Soon he realized Winston was attacking the front bumper. A second unit was brought in to document the assault (which can be seen in the video below and here).
The use of a Taser did not stop the animal, but eventually the boxer-bull mix was apprehended and taken into custody at the McKamey Animal Shelter where he was held for two weeks. On Thursday Winston was reunited with his family, the Emerlings, who paid $200 in fees.
City Court Judge Sherry Paty acknowledged that the violent attack did not happen to any people but insisted that the Emerlings take Winston to at least two obedience classes so that this behavior could be quelled before others were injured.

WDEF-TV interviewed Winston's owner Michael Emerling who expressed gratitude that the police did not use deadly force on his pet. "We've seen places where dogs have done a lot less and been shot. We really are grateful to them for not doing that."
McKamey's Executive Director Karen Walsh said she had heard rumors that perhaps the police radar had provoked Winston's tirade, but she wasn't buying it. "I've never heard any evidence of animals being able to hear police radar guns," Walsh told the local news.

Now I know that this could have been a very dangerous situation if the dog attacked anyone, but I have to say I started to laugh when i saw this video, and I thank the police for being understanding and patient to spare this dogs life and not shoot him. Winston, you better be good now!

Saturday, March 27, 2010

He has got from somewhere the information that cows get more happy and productive if they watch the movies with the juicy green fields. So he got a non-stop loop of world’s recognized green Swiss Alpine fields and got the most slim LCD TVs on market in Russia and then called the team of workers to install that all.

Now they go into statistics to measure the outcomes. They compare the results from two groups of cows, one is watching TV another is deprived of this humanity most spread entertainment thing.

Where do I begin with this one? Instead of installing the televisions, let them out of the damn barn to actually graze on the grass instead of watching it on TV! It must be a real slap in the face to these poor cows that they are subjected to this idiocy! I am sooooo glad that no one in my family was ever a farmer or rancher. The obvious ignorance some of these people have just amazes me!

The U.S. government is using helicopters to round up wild horses. There have already been over 80 horses die because of this roundup to make land available for cattle ranchers. This is the meat industry at work, even thought the government claims that the roundup is to help "save the horses from starvation". As you can see in the video below, the horses look pretty healthy to me. This is an example of how much money and influence the meat industry has on government. Please watch the video with CNN's Jane Velez-Mitchell, and take action! Thanks!

Friday, March 26, 2010

Two rescued pigs arrived at the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary on 3/20/2010. Ms. Piggy had been rescued off the side of the road in North Carolina with a red stripe painted down her back -- the telltale sign that she was marked for slaughter. How she escaped, we do not know, but an awesome woman named Valerie (who happened to be a wildlife rehabilitator and cat rescuer) scooped her up and kept her in suburban Long Island in a large pen her husband built. Ms. Piggy was very well cared for, but now 2 years old and fully-grown she needed more room to be a pig.

Peter had a similar story, but the end result was very different. He was picked up as a tiny runt from a farm where he would've languished by a man who was charmed by the young piglet. Figuring he could always give to his brother to slaughter for bacon, the man raised Peter indoors in a marble counter top warehouse. He subsequently fell in love with the little guy, but even with the best intentions his lack of knowledge about pigs was detrimental to Peter's health -- Peter's diet consisted mostly of meatball heros, pizza, and bags of day-oldDunkin donuts. At only a few months this high-fat and highly inappropriate diet (pigs are naturally vegetarians but will eat anything if hungry enough) caused Peter to have some problems supporting is own weight. Coupled with the fact that he was living on concrete -- an unnatural surface for a hooven animal -- Peter essentially stopped walking. The man would have to lay down scraps of carpet to get Peter to get up to pee. We arrived in the nick of time, we believe, and hope that with a good diet and plenty of exercise 9-month-old Peter will make a full recovery!

I am a very happy member of the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary in New York. I have had the privilege of visiting the sanctuary twice last year, and hope to visit at least that many times this year. Jenny and Doug are two wonderful animal advocates that started this sanctuary. You can read all about the history of WFAS and all the animals by clicking on the picture below, and consider making a donation to this wonderful place! To see the video of Miss Piggy and Peter, click the youtube link below.

In what is certainly bizarre news, a wild coyote managed to hoodwink the New York Police for two days before being captured in a parking garage.

This is the fourth sighting of a coyote in Manhattan this year. There were 3 sightings of coyotes on the campus of the Columbia University earlier this year before this one.

The police tried to capture it for the first time near the Holland Tunnel on Wednesday but failed to do so. Police personnel had managed to corner it in the Tribeca neighborhood only to find that the coyote managed to evade them and was seen until Thursday afternoon from where the police chased it to a garage in Tribeca where they cornered the coyote and sedated it using a dart gun.

The police gave the coyote to the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals where animal experts will keep the coyote under observation for a few days before deciding on where to release it.

Coyotes live in vast numbers outside the city limits as well as a few who live in NYC. There is also a sizable coyote population in the Van Cortlandt Park, which is in Bronx. Coyotes, which were captured before, have been released there and this one might be released there as well.

New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation states that coyotes have been living in New York for a long time now and that they pose not much danger to human beings. For proof, they provided the statistics, which says that the number of dog attacks in the New York state number around 600 or so per year, while there are only a few coyote attacks all over the nation.

March 25, 2010 - Los Angeles

Orange County prosecutors have charged a Perris man who allegedly attacked a pelican on the Newport Pier when it tried to steal his catch.

The incident occurred last week, and authorities allege the fisherman stomped on the pelican’s beak. An online posting from a local rescue shelter said he also kicked it in the head.

Daniel Richard Moreno, 19, will be in court Friday for a pretrial hearing after pleading not guilty last week to misdemeanor animal cruelty. Police said Moreno was fishing on the pier about 3:30 p.m. on March 14 and set one of the fish he caught on the ground next to him.

That’s when a pelican standing on a nearby building’s roof swooped down and tried to grab Moreno’s fish, authorities said.

The pelican had a 33- to 36-centimeter “hairline fracture” on its beak, Debbie McGuire, director for the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach, told the Daily Pilot. The fracture drew blood from the bird, police said.

-- Joseph Serna, Daily Pilot

Does this guy think that the pelican was out to mess with him? This is what pelicans do! They swoop down and catch fish! If he was that stupid to not secure the fish he just caught, then he deserves to get it taken away. There is no excuse for his hurting the bird, unless of course he didn't want to be "embarrassed" by the other fisherman nearby so he thought the only manly thing to do was to stomp on the pelican. What an A-HOLE!

Monday, March 22, 2010

EARTHLINGS is an award-winning documentary film about the suffering of animals for food, fashion, pets, entertainment and medical research. Considered the most persuasive documentary ever made, EARTHLINGS is nicknamed “the Vegan maker” for its sensitive footage shot at animal shelters, pet stores, puppy mills, factory farms, slaughterhouses, the leather and fur trades, sporting events, circuses and research labs. The film is narrated by Academy Award® nominee Joaquin Phoenix and features music by platinum-selling recording artist Moby. Initially ignored by distributors, today EARTHLINGS is considered the definitive animal rights film by organizations around the world. “Of all the films I have ever made, this is the one that gets people talking the most,” said Phoenix. “For every one person who sees EARTHLINGS, they will tell three.”

I first viewed this film in the summer of 2009 and it changed my life FOREVER...In a GREAT way! I am healthier now that I have gone vegan and I have much more respect for all the animals of the world, both human and non-human. I would definitely recommend this film to anyone who is curious about the way animals are treated. You can view it here :Earthlings

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Here are pictures of a few of the dogs that are currently available for adoption at the Dutchess County SPCA in Hyde Park, New York. You can also see a video clip of each dog by visiting my YOU TUBE page.

Please contact the Dutchess County SPCA in Hyde Park, New York @ 845-452-7722 or go to DCSPCA.ORG for more information.

Friday, March 19, 2010

New Jersey is considering classifying cats as "wildlife", making feral and house pets targets! Even indoor cats sometimes slip outside now and then. Please follow the link and tell New Jersey NO to cats as "wildlife"

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

I have always been a lover of animals since a very early age in life. Up until recently I was blinded by the fact that "Some animals are here for us to love, and some are here for us to eat". I woke up last summer when I became vegetarian, and on Valentines Day 2010 I became vegan, for love of the animals.

If animals matter to you, please go to the site below and watch the video of Simon Cowell, and sign the petition to help animals.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Queens - A heartless Queens woman was arrested for crippling her 11-month-old English bulldog after witnesses caught her on video beating the pooch with a shovel, officials said.

Maria Aguilar, 36, was arrested by the ASPCA and charged with animal cruelty.

The young bulldog, named Spike, had been abused repeatedly over the past few months.

During his short life, Spike has sustained a hip fracture, a broken leg, three broken teeth and injuries to his ears, according to ASPCA Assistant Director Joseph Pentangelo.

The pup, which is being treated at the ASPCA hospital, is also virtually blind in his right eye.

ASPCA investigators were called to Aguilar's house on Feb. 24 after witnesses reported hearing a dog crying.

One of the witnesses used a camera phone to tape the abuse, also capturing Spike's howls of pain. Aguilar is seen throwing Spike to the ground and then slamming him with a snow shovel.

OK..... I would love to know what goes on in the mind of sick people like this when they decide to start abusing animals. I commend the person for video taping it and sending it to the police. We need more people to report abuse when they see it, rather than turning their backs to it. There is just no excuse for this or ANY violence against animals. And if you watch the video below you will see, who I assume is her son say "We don't want to see her go to jail, IT'S JUST A DOG". I have no words for that comment

Monday, March 8, 2010

Mercy For Animals is one of the leaders in exposing horrible cruelty towards animals. The following video is an undercover investigation at a dairy farm in upstate New York. If you consume animal products, including milk, eggs and flesh, you owe it to the animals to watch this video, and think about if you want to continue to contribute to this cruelty.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Salt Lake City - A man convicted of beating up his girlfriend's puppy will spend up to five years in prison. This is the first case to be convicted under Henry's law, which makes the abuse of animals a third-degree felony.

I am very pleased to see that justice has been served for this puppy that was the victim of horrible abuse. May this be a message to all those who are thinking of abusing animals.Below is the link to the full story

Thursday, March 4, 2010

In this country animals are still considered “property” according to the law- in most cases no different than a table or chair. Through the Animal Bill of Rights, the Animal Legal Defense Fund is working to show Congress a groundswell of support for legislation that protects animals and recognizes that, like all sentient beings, animals are entitled to basic legal rights in our society.

The Right of animals to be free from exploitation, cruelty, neglect, and abuse.

The Right of laboratory animals not to be used in cruel or unnecessary experiments.

The Right of farm animals to an environment that satisfies their basic physical and psychological needs.

The Right of companion animals to a healthy diet, protective shelter, and adequate medical care.

The Right of wildlife to a natural habitat, ecologically sufficient to a normal existence and self-sustaining species population.

The Right of animals to have their interests represented in court and safeguarded by the law of the land.

- Animal Legal Defense Fund

I think this is an EXCELLENT idea and people need to vote for this Bill of Rights for the animals! One way to make this possible is to GO VEGAN!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering
apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I
had to help her.

I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid. As
she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I
had in the back of my cage. I didn't want her to know that I hadn't
been walked today. Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I
didn't want her to think poorly of them.

As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about
my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a
difference in someone's life.

She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I
shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.

Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I
instantly jumped into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe. I
would promise to always be by her side. I would promise to do
everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes.

I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors. So many more to be saved.

Written by Janine Allen CPDT, Rescue Me Dog's professional dog trainer. Janine's passion is working with people and their dogs. She provides demonstrations for those who have adopted shelter dogs, lends email support to adopted dog owners that need information beyond our Training Support Pages, and aids shelter staff and volunteers in understanding dog behavior to increase their adoptability. Copyright 2010 Rescue Me Dog; www.rescuemedog.org

About Me

Hi. Welcome to my blog. My name is Michael and I am an ethical vegan, and an animal rights / human rights advocate.
This blog consists mostly of new stories involving non-human animals. All of my commentary to stories posted will be in bold orange.
Please check out my YOU TUBE videos! Go to www.youtube.com/user/AVoice4Animals
My Podcast "A Voice 4 Animals" is available for download in Itunes. Please subscribe!